KENNY: THE MARXIST WHO WOULD BE MAYOR

KENNY: THE MARXIST WHO WOULD BE MAYOR

NYC PREMIERE The Corvette-driving, verbally gifted Marxist Ken Cockrel was a powerhouse lawyer in 1970s Detroit, a city roiled by segregation, racial unrest, and police brutality. In a series of high-profile cases involving the Black community, the radical yet rational Ken took the legal lead and won decisive victories. Through vivid archival footage and personal recollections, this energetic film celebrates a brash and brilliant activist who moved the needle on race, justice, and social change. – Karen McMullen

Kenny: The Marxist Who Would Be Mayor is one of 10 nominated films in DOC NYC’s inaugural Archival Storytelling Competition, developed in collaboration with Archival Producers Alliance and co-presented by Footage.Net, Fox Archives, and Global ImageWorks. To see the list of other nominated films, click here.

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Christopher “Zoz” Gruse, executive producer/protagonists Sheila Cockrel and Katy Cockrel, and editor Cammeron Neely.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Director: Christopher Gruse
Producer: Ben Ellenberg, Branden McClure
Executive Producer: Katy Cockrel, Sheila Cockrel, Erin Henneghan, Christopher Gruse, Bryan Buckley, Hank Perlman, Jesse Ford
Cinematographer: Jerome Wald III
Editor: Cammeron Neely, Shane Ford, Josh Bodnar
Composer: Eric Hoegemyer
Archival Producer(s): Erin Henneghan, Mary Wallace
Language: English
Year: 2026

Event details


In-Person Date

Saturday, November 14, 2026 11:00 AM

Venue

Village East by Angelika


Online Dates

Sunday, November 15 - Sunday, November 29, 2026

Venue

Online Screening

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